Autumn Awakens

by M. J. Padgett

  I went at her again, flying in from above. This time she was faster than me. I felt a searing pain in my gut moments before she began laughing uncontrollably. She had stabbed me with something, a sword or dagger. I couldn’t tell from the angle, but it was excruciating. I screamed, startling a few of the beasts with my mighty roar. Ophelia howled, then went at Rose again.

  She swiped at Ophelia, cutting her across the chest and flaying open the muscle. We were losing, and we were probably going to die. I was almost sure I was not invincible in my chimera form, and I wasn’t willing to test Ophelia or Jordan’s invincibility against Rose. I held out faith that Annabell could somehow counter Rose with Petra, but it seemed the child had bitten off more than she could chew. I had no idea what to do next.

  As if she could hear my thoughts, Annabell said, “Just keep fighting! She will be here soon!”

  She who? I wondered, then tried to get back up. Ophelia was bleeding profusely but tried to rise as well. Jordan limped from behind Petra, ready to try once more before we all met our fate.

  Rose lifted her sword over her head and came down toward Ophelia. Rose stopped mid-arc and began to cough. A bit of blood sputtered from her lips. She dropped the sword, then lurched forward, clutching her stomach. She stumbled and fell toward me, grasping at air as she fell. Behind her stood Caroline, eyes wide and mouth open, seemingly in shock at her own actions. She held a long blade that looked very familiar.

  Rose fell in a heap at our feet. Petra came close to inspect our wounds, then began to heal them. Caroline lowered the sword momentarily. Rose shot up from the ground, a wicked cackle escaping her lips.

  “Silly old woman. Don’t you know, if you want to kill a witch you must stab her in the heart. Otherwise, she’ll simply heal herself and kill you?” Rose said, her voice rising with each word. Before anyone could act, Rose grabbed Caroline by the head and twisted, snapping her neck quickly. Petra screamed and tried to shield little Annabell, but the damage was done. Caroline was dead.

  I didn’t know what to do. We were not prepared to take Rose alone, but that was her plan all along. I briefly wondered if there was a way to get a message to the others in Goldene Stadt and Schattenland, but how? I couldn’t fly in my condition, and Jordan and Ophelia would never get there in time. Petra wasn’t strong enough to create a portal without her cousins, and I doubted even Annabell’s magical boost could change that.

  Just when I thought we were all dead, an angry roar cut through the night. Ethan emerged from behind the castle, his wide wings forcing wind down on us. Rose seemed pleased, believing she still had control of the dragons. She smiled and opened her mouth, prepared to issue an order, then Ethan swooped down and snatched her from the ground.

  Rose’s screams were blood-curdling. I could only imagine what it might feel like to flop around in a dragon’s teeth. Ethan shook her a few times, then forcefully threw her to the ground, easily a fifty-foot drop. Rose fell, distorted, against the rock wall that surrounded the Salien castle.

  I shifted and ran toward her, fearing she wasn’t dead and would only heal herself and go for round three. When I was near, she tried to get up but had been impaled by a piece of iron jutting from the broken wall. Ironically, the wall was only broken because Rose had thrown me into it.

  “Help me, and I’ll tell you who the real demon is,” Rose begged, her hand outstretched.

  “The real demon? You mean the dark evil? The hooded woman?” I asked.

  “Yes! Yes, I will tell you her identity if you help me!”

  I was so close to helping her, but a bit of delight flashed in her eyes. It was a trick. She had no intention of telling me anything. I shifted again, prepared to snap her neck, impale her heart, anything and everything to ensure she never woke again. That pleasure would go to another, more annoyed woman. Rose’s body flew up, then landed hard on the cobblestone path in the courtyard.

  Rebecca stood, fire in her eyes and light in her hands, ready and willing to strike the final blow. She pulled Rose toward her with her magic, dragging the woman along the stones as she screamed. Once she was close enough, Rebecca raised the sword Caroline had used and thrust it deep into Rose’s chest. The ruby at the end of the sword began to glow, matching a bright red glow emanating from a hidden sheath in Rose’s clothing. Rebecca reached down and drew the dagger Thaddeus had stolen from the sheath, then tucked it carefully in her own waistband.

  All the while, the rest of us looked on in shock.

  “Is... Is she dead?” I asked. My gut hurt, and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t dead also. The monsters were all gone, vanished into thin air.

  “She is,” Rebecca said. “Go, let Annabell heal you.”

  I stumbled toward the child and knelt. She placed her little hands on my abdomen, and a bright, white light engulfed me. Moments later, the pain was gone. Annabell repeated the action on Ophelia and Jordan, then on a wound I hadn’t even noticed Petra had acquired. Ethan landed beside us, still in dragon form but calm and steady.

  “Jeanine?” Ophelia asked once she’d shifted. Two steps from Rebecca, she paused. “No, you’re not... You’re not Jeanine, you’re...”

  Rebecca smiled. “There is plenty of time to explain, my dear. For now, let’s help our family, shall we?”

  I heard shuffling sounds all around me, then I heard Hayden.

  “Annabell! What are you doing here?” she screamed and scrambled to her feet.

  “Helping, Mommy. I had to be here for when she comes,” Annabell said.

  People stirred all around, groaning as they slowly rose to their feet. Confusion filled the castle, but my mind was focused on Annabell’s words.

  “You were supposed to stay with the others, young lady! Where is your brother?” Jack fussed.

  “Inside with Little Wil,” Annabell replied.

  Calla grumbled, and she walked with a little wobble. “Why am I not surprised?”

  “What happened? Is Rose dead? Did she have a death wish?” I heard Wil ask. Everything around me began to slow. The voices of our family and friends faded into the background. Annabell’s eyes connected with mine, the only adult in the castle paying her any attention at that point.

  “She’s here,” Annabell whispered, but no one else heard. She managed to wiggle free of her mother’s hand and ran to me. I bent and picked her up, settling her on my hip. She leaned toward me and whispered in my ear. “She’s here, Uncle Parker. The snow will begin soon.” And just like that, fat flakes of snow began to fall, quickly blanketing everything in a soft coating. The courtyard fell silent as everyone gazed up at the stars mingling with the flakes. “See, go look,” Annabell whispered.

  I wandered over toward the gate and peered out. A woman walked toward the castle, her blue dress billowing around her as she approached. She seemed eerily calm and took her sweet time getting to the courtyard gate.

  “Someone’s coming,” I called to the others. “She just exited the forest, and she’s crossing the field.”

  A few people surrounded me at the gate, then Calla gasped and backed away. She began to tremble as Wil held her tightly. I could feel the tension build around me until the woman finally met us at the iron gate. She was beautiful—big green eyes, long dark hair, porcelain skin, and ruby red lips that looked a lot like—

  “Hello, Tristan, son of Einar and Thirteen. I’m Snow White.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “Um,” I said as I held tightly to Annabell. Hayden pulled on her daughter, but I couldn’t let her go. Even if I’d wanted to, the child’s grip on my neck was locked tight. Finally, Jack approached and whispered in Annabell’s ear.

  Annabell shook her head. “I told you, Daddy, she would never hurt me. Why won’t you listen to me?”

  “I want to, sweet pea, but—” Jack stopped short and looked at Snow. “I’m sorry, I just don’t trust her.”

  “Trust me. I did everything right when Mommy was sick, and I helped this time, too,” Annabell begged. Her argumen
t wasn’t wrong, and while they discussed the topic as a family, Snow waited patiently for someone to let her through the gate.

  “She cannot come in here,” Calla said.

  “Technically, she could just whip up some magic and force her way in, but she isn’t,” Ely said, but hesitantly, his hair falling into his face. He shrugged and ran his fingers through it. “But I guess that could be a trick in and of itself. I’m not sure what to do.”

  “She hasn’t said what she expects us to do,” Elizabeth said. She clung to Seline, the two seemingly past their argument over Caroline’s return. Caroline... They didn’t know their adoptive mother was dead, not yet.

  “I can help you,” Snow said. “I want to help. I know you don’t trust me, and that’s fair, but you must know it wasn’t me, not really.” She gripped the iron bars tightly, knuckles white, a little apprehension in her tone. “I can explain everything. Ask Ravenna to bind my magic before you let me in.”

  “Oh, you can bet that will happen. Don’t think for one second every witch in this kingdom won’t be focused on you,” Ravenna said, slowly approaching the gate.

  “You can’t be serious,” Calla said. “You can’t let her in here. She’ll fool us again.”

  “In the gate or out, she’s alive. If she means to do us harm a few iron bars won’t stop her,” Ravenna argued.

  “But—”

  “Calla, darling, remember what Annabell said?” Wil asked. “Snow is meant to lead the Seven Sworn. I know it’s difficult, but we must try to hear her out, especially after what happened with Hayden.”

  “Hayden didn’t start out to with a desire to kill us!” Calla cried.

  “Neither did I,” Snow argued. “I had no idea when I killed my mother that her darkness transferred to me! I only knew I was supposed to do it. I had to kill her to protect the world from the spread of the evil.”

  Ravenna seemed taken aback. “What?” she asked.

  “I can explain if you’ll just let me. Please,” Snow begged.

  Annabell tugged on my shirt collar then whispered in my ear. “Tell them to let her in, Uncle Parker.”

  “I can’t do that, Annabell. It’s not my place,” I said, gaining several people’s attention.

  “But we need her!” Annabell argued, her small hands tightly clutching my shirt. Her eyes narrowed, and she focused her anger on me. I couldn’t say why, but she seemed determined that I was the one who could convince the others to allow their former foe back into the fold.

  I glanced at Ravenna, unsure where I fit into the decision-making process where Snow was concerned. “Perhaps we could hear her out, then make a decision?” I offered.

  Ravenna studied Annabell, then exhaled forcefully. “Open the gate.”

  “Mom!” Calla cried, but the gate was opened regardless of her protests. I felt the familiar tug in my heart, the one that always told me I’d disappointed one of my siblings. I didn’t want to hurt Calla, but Annabell’s argument was strong, especially considering her role in defeating Rose.

  Ely and Jack tugged the gate open and cautiously allowed Snow White back into the kingdom she nearly destroyed under her ruthless reign. Once the gate was opened wide, Snow walked in. Her green eyes were wide, taking in everything before her. The tension in the open courtyard was palpable, so thick it was practically suffocating. Snow paused beside Ravenna with her head cocked to one side. Her eyes scanned the ground, searching.

  “What is it?” Ravenna asked, her arm tense as if she were prepared to strike the woman if she gave the wrong reply.

  “It feels... odd.” Snow looked around at the mess, then turned to face me. “You lost a loved one in this battle?” she asked. Oh crap.

  Caroline’s body was well hidden behind a chunk of crumbled stone wall, but soon enough the triplets would know what had become of their adoptive mother. I glanced at Ophelia. I could see the sweat on her forehead under the moonlight as she looked back at me. People began looking around, taking stock of their loved ones, and searching for missing people. Some were in Goldene Stadt with the children, others were in Schattenland, but I couldn’t let it go on that long. The triplets assumed their mother was safe and sound in another kingdom. They didn’t know she was a hero.

  “We did,” I said shakily. I looked to Jemma who wore a nervous look. She swallowed hard, and her eyes widened, questioning me. I suppose, though he was a traitor through and through, it would be difficult for her to hear of Thaddeus’ fate as well.

  “The traitor, he was killed?” Snow asked.

  “How did you—” I began, but she stopped me.

  “Thaddeus was never your ally. He worked for me when I was... When I wasn’t me. I’m sorry. It is true. However, the loved one I speak of was righteous in her own way, and she shall be richly rewarded for her efforts,” Snow said.

  “She who?” Ravenna asked with an edge to her tone I doubted would ever go away while Snow was in our midst. My gaze instinctively turned toward Seline and Elizabeth. Seline locked her gaze with mine. She shook her head.

  “No. No she’s—Mom?” Seline called out, gaining Ravenna’s attention. But it wasn’t Ravenna she was seeking. “Mom!” she screamed again. Elizabeth continued to clutch her sister’s arm, searching the familiar faces with her. Instead of joining his sisters, Ely looked at me. I nodded slowly. His face fell, sadness taking over his features as he went to comfort his sisters.

  “No! No!” Seline cried. Neither Elizabeth, Ely, nor Henry could comfort her. She wanted the woman who’d raised her, the one who was trying to earn forgiveness even in the face of insurmountable odds. In some ways, Caroline was braver than any of us.

  “She saved us,” I said. “Caroline was... She was incredible.”

  “Indeed, and that is why she has been called for another duty,” Snow said. “Fear not, for you will see her again one day.”

  “Where is she?” Seline asked. She tore away from her family and ran toward Snow. “What have you done with her?” When she reached Snow, Snow stood firmly and allowed Seline to shake her nearly silly. Ely gripped his sister and peeled her from Snow, then allowed Seline to fall to pieces in his arms. They both fell to the ground while everyone else looked on helplessly. Dozens of people filled the courtyard, and not one of us had any means of comforting her.

  Snow knelt beside Ely and Seline. “I know you do not trust me, but you will see a sign soon. Your mother died a hero’s death, and her sacrifice will not go unrewarded. You will see. In the final battle, she will be there.”

  “Your cryptic nonsense isn’t much comfort,” Ely spat.

  “Then allow me to explain why I am here, please,” Snow begged. “Give me half an hour to tell you my story.”

  “The elected representatives from each—” Ravenna began.

  “Um, no. This is too important to leave people out,” Calla said. “Anyone who wants to hear her stupid story can meet in the hall. When she’s finished, we’ll decide what to do with her as a group.”

  Ravenna didn’t argue with Calla. Instead, she harshly gripped Snow’s shoulders and said a few words. A faint light sparked between the two of them, then Ravenna said, “And I will know if you try to override the binding spell.”

  Snow nodded, then headed toward the hall. Ravenna pulled Henry aside. “Send word quickly to the other kingdoms. Please request King Bastian’s presence. Perhaps he can help us figure out whether she’s telling the truth or feeding us another crop of lies.”

  “He’s already here, your Highness. He came to give his regards to Marcus before the ball. I’ll check on them now,” Henry replied. So many things had gone wrong in only a few short days, it was nearly impossible to keep up with everything. I decided that it was likely Rose’s goal all along. Chip away at our forces until we were weak, then go in for the kill.

  The triplets made their way toward the hall, so Henry excused himself. “I’ll just check on King Bastian then return,” he said, watching his poor wife disappear into the dining hall.

  Sierra a
nd Cecily found their way to me, accompanied by Felix. Sierra stared after her husband but allowed him time to comfort his grieving sisters alone.

  “This is insane,” she said to me, then tickled Annabell’s tummy. “Please tell me Hans didn’t sneak out with you three.”

  Annabell giggled, still comfortable in my arms. “Yes!”

  “Wait... He did?” Sierra asked, then started looking for him. “Hans! Where are you, kid?”

  Cecily laughed, then poked her sister’s arm. “Ten bucks says he made his way to the kitchen to search for cake.”

  “Oh for—you’re probably right,” Sierra said, then went the opposite direction to search for her child. I didn’t know if Hans was in Schwarzwald or not since he wasn’t with Annabell when she arrived. Cecily laughed, and Felix shook his head, then the two followed Sierra as she screamed threats to her child before she’d even found him.

  “You, young lady, get your tush over here right now,” Hayden said, pointing to the ground in front of her. “Uncle Parker can’t protect you forever.”

  Annabell sighed, then said, “Yes, Mommy.” She slid down my side and wandered to Hayden, who only hugged her tightly as she scolded her for sneaking out.

  Ophelia and the others were nowhere to be found, so I wandered toward the hall. I wondered if anyone had told Chris and Ross the coast was clear, but my question was soon answered when I saw Little Wil and Dominic running down the hall toward the kitchen, Chris, Ross, and Jack close behind. When I entered the hall, there were fewer people than expected. Many had wandered to different parts of the castle. I, for one, wanted to hear what Snow had to say. I had only heard bits and pieces of each of the stories from the other kingdoms, and they all merged together in a sort of fairy tale soup that hardly made any sense to me.

  Just as we entered the hall, Ethan pulled me aside. “Do you think my sisters can get out now? With Rose dead, she can’t control us anymore. Annabell should be safe, right?”

  I hadn’t thought about it, but he was probably right. “I guess. Maybe? Let’s ask someone higher ranking than me,” I said, glancing at Ravenna.